Same as You
by bbmuffin
Summary: Tobirama and Izuna. As kids they followed in the footsteps of their older brothers they could not help but meet. Senju and Uchiha; Opposites have a way of coming together. A TobiIzu fic. M for later chapter(s). Implied HashiMada.


It could no longer be called a coincidence. There were no coincidences when the same distinct chakra signature seeped its way into Tobirama's web of sensory awareness. The same time each day. Same spot each day. Someone was scouting. Someone possibly not aware that Tobirama was doing quite the same. The young white-haired Senju had his reason. A reason named Hashirama, his oldest brother who was quite frequently and secretly making visits to hang out with a boy - pale skinned and with a tousled mess of black hair.

Tobirama couldn't figure out much about this nameless boy his brother was with and what they were up to at first. Though upon watching the two interact after a few days it became clear that the nature of these visits had changed into something more than just a new friend to hang out with. The pair became insatiable to their curiosities, and Tobirama just could not look away.

Watching the two becoming one in a tangled mess of hands and feet, thighs and mouths; Their sweaty skin and ecstasy pained expressions nearly said it all while still explaining nothing. It was the unknowing that made it impossible for Tobirama to look away, curiosity just wouldn't let him.

Just like it wouldn't let him ignore the presence of this familiar stranger in the forest another any longer.

Questions had been going through his mind as he contemplated what he'd do about the persistent presence he'd been detecting. Was he really even prepared to meet this individual? Growing up in war trained him for things like this, instilled in him the importance of reason and survival. He was unable to get a clear read on the strength of the other's chakra as it was for the most part attempting to be masked. If this person caught him, could he manage to get out? He thought he was giving himself credibility for weighing his options based on available information, but in reality, he was still just a boy. Still a boy with a boy's sense of curiosity.

Convincing himself onwards, he made his way over to the unknown through the canopy of the forest. Foot to branch to branch to foot, wind whipped through his flurry of snow white hair, red irises hidden through his squinting to keep them from drying out. Silently and swiftly he made his way to the location, slowing as he neared, conscious of the possibilities of traps.

Crouched by the thick trunk of a tree was a boy, not much younger than himself from what he could tell. While he could not see their face, what he could see was a vaguely familiar tangle of thick black locks.

This was not what he had expected. He could infer that the boy he was looking at was most likely related to the boy his brother was currently 'involved' with. What he also didn't expect was to hear a sharp inhale coming from the figure. Distracted Tobirama shifted to listen closer, not being consciously aware of his somewhat precarious position in the trees. His shift in weight dislodged a chip of bark from the tree making enough noise any non-shinobi could have heard. Not having much choice then, his location already been made known, he leapt down attempting to secure control by aiming a kunai to come to a point at the others throat. The metallic clang resonated in the air. Their clashing forces were equal, shuddering in a dynamic equilibrium.

They stared at each other, black eyes meeting red for the first time.

Tobirama growled in annoyance before questioning the other. "What are you doing here?"

Calmly as ever the dark haired boy responded with eyes slightly narrowed though not quite hostile, "I could ask you the same."

Putting more pressure through his kunai he tried to emphasize his next words. "It would have been hard to not find you here. I've heard quieter cats in heat." The exaggeration was worthwhile as for a split second the boy's features betrayed him, a flicker of composure. Tobirama couldn't help but smirk slightly at that.

He replied calmly again, "You misread the situation. I was only looking for my brother."

Was he really going to try to play him for a fool? Tobirama snorted, indignant towards the boy who appeared to be very much an equal match despite his slightly shorter stature.

"You were just looking for your brother…" he mimed mockingly, "but it still doesn't explain why you have to watch for him here day after day." Tobirama replied hautly, quite sure he had caught the boy in his white lie.

An annoyingly sweet smile formed on the boy's face before retorting back smoothly, "You caught me, though you can only say that because you've been doing the same. Pervert."

He was definitely just made the fool - and a pervert.

Tobirama stammered slightly flustered, "I'm here just the same as you, my brother is also here idiot," even more childishly he added in quickly, "Pervert."

Neutral faced, the dark hair boy dared to let his eyes stray sideways towards the direction of their elder brothers. "Oh, you look nothing alike." He said it plainly enough that Tobirama wasn't sure if he was trying to be offensive by it or merely stating an observation while being naive to its possible implications.

Tobirama frowned and gave one last hard shove on his kunai before pulling back away from him. The Senju's appearance in comparison to his brothers had never really been a teasing point in his life. His other brothers were more similar in looks to himself; however, Hashirama and he looked nothing alike. (Unfortunately for Tobirama, this would only become more apparent with time.)

"Now what?" Tobirama mumbled. Frown still firmly on his face he crossed his arms while carefully minding the kunai still safely in his grasp.

Neither of them had denied their less than innocent behavior. The silence seemed to punctuate that fact.

"Your face might get stuck that way if you do that too much," Izuna observed with his gentle manner. Tobirama had nothing to say. Frown turned into a scowl, eyes hardening towards the other's placid attitude, it was confusing at best, he couldn't tell if there was something more going behind those soft smiles.

"What's your name?"

"Izuna."

"Tobirama."

Izuna did not outwardly appear to care if he knew his name or not. He fidgeted a bit and put away his kunai, Tobirama's suspicious eyes had followed the weapon and noticed Izuna's apparent readjusting of his robe belt in the front.

When Izuna looked up, he would have been making eye contact if Tobirama hadn't quickly averted his glower and remained stubbornly focused on looking away. He took the moment to study the disgruntled boy's face; jagged snow white bangs brushed the edges of furrowed brows that framed a set of red-colored irises. While the color was not unusual to Izuna, they were particularly intriguing as he had never seen red eyes without a sharingan being responsible for the ominous hue. His eyes were naturally narrow (though often exaggerated by the stern and irritated expressions he seemed fond of) and slanted upwards, somewhat exotically. Tobirama's looks were just that to Izuna - exotic. As an Uchiha, Izuna was born and raised in a clan where anything other than dark hair and eyes were...it just didn't happen among themselves. Even at a young age, Tobirama's features were strong, chiseled and firm; in comparison they were quite different to Izuna's own softer features. Their similarities and differences drew Izuna in, that feeling of curiosity was bubbling up inside of him again.

"Maybe we should," Izuna's musing cut through the silence.

"Should what?" Tobirama scoffed.

Izuna took a small step closer and instinctively Tobirama was on edge, his eyes glaring down at the boy. By no means did he trust him just because they had shared names.

"Be more like our brothers," He responded in a way that made it seem like the obvious thing, as if Tobirama should have known.

"I'm not out here to make friends."

"Me neither." He stepped closer again, slowly still as if trying to say he posed no threat with his body language. Tobirama was already on guard, but didn't want to back down at this point, it would seem too much like he wasn't sure he could handle the situation. So he stayed put, hard-shouldered as ever, arms still crossed firmly across his chest.

Izuna continued to step closer, his face unreadable giving nothing away. Tobirama didn't know what it was, maybe it was that the dark haired boy seemed to be so much alike in ways that he didn't want to be the first to surrender his ground, he didn't want to look like the weaker of the two. His finger twitched anxiously, ready to defend himself if necessary.

It happened all too quickly for Tobirama even though in actuality, Izuna's movements could hardly have been any slower. It was just that the movements directed Izuna's hand straight to Tobirama's groin, cupping his boyish modesty through the fabric.

Flustered and shaken he lashed out with his kunai aiming straight at Izuna. Though instead of being blocked like before, it tore through the boy's shoulder, tearing through flesh and fabric. Izuna did not flinch; he didn't even make a sound. Frozen in the moment, Tobirama felt the time, no, the air pulse heavily around them in waves, the genjutsu finally falling away.

It was not entirely an illusion however, Izuna was still closely in front of him and very much still ahold of _him_. His attack had sailed straight passed the boy, missing him by a good three-fingered width. He had managed to momentarily shift Tobirama's perception with the small, but efficient genjutsu.

"Don't-" Izuna was cut off as Tobirama roughly knocked him backwards causing him to fall onto his hands being knocked off his feet completely, his black locks looked more disheveled tangled around his face.

"No, _you_ don't!" Tobirama spat back, yelling now, even more so upset at Izuna's now pathetic looking form, like a kicked stray puppy or something. The boy was not at all unskilled as he had demonstrated for the second time just moments ago. Why would he let Tobirama knock him over like that? It was maddening trying to read him, in a final fit of his frustration he threw the kunai between their feet, burying half the blade into the earth. A new physical boundary was established, a warning, 'Don't'.

Izuna frowned. "I don't see why you're so upset. Isn't that the whole reason we've been spying on our brothers?" It looked more like a pout really, the shape of his lips lent itself to be perceived as such.

It bothered him also that Izuna was so straight forward, especially about _that_.

"You really have no sense of self-restraint do you?" Miffed, though desperately trying to pull off an air of stoicism, Tobirama returned to crossing his arms, his body language could say it all. He was closing himself off from Izuna, it was safer that way. He just couldn't figure it out. Perhaps the boy really had a mastery self and situational awareness so that he was able to play so freely with what he allowed Tobirama to see. Perhaps he was just over thinking and giving Izuna too much credit.

"We've seen them do it often enough, aren't you curious too?" With a curiosity like this, he would think he'd need nine lives, actually, he probably did and was already well on his way to number 7.

Tobirama was about at the limit of his patience. He never thought this encounter would have been anything like this - It would have been a gross understatement to say that he was being pushed outside of his comfort zones. He very much liked to be aware and understanding, it gave him the smallest sense of control in a world where there was hardly any.

He must have started frowning again.

"You can leave if you're just going to be like that," Izuna began to wipe his hands free from the dirt and leaves sticking to them.

Not even wanting to retrieve his kunai, Tobirama left. He left the dark-haired boy Izuna and he left the brothers. He wouldn't be coming back - for a while at least.

..x.. 

"Izuna." 

"Tobirama." 

Their eyes locked onto each other's once more despite the width of a river now separating them. Both of their older brothers were there; as were their fathers. Their swords clashing together was the only other greeting they gave each other. 

They both left the river that day less like strangers, but even less like friends. Izuna didn't even smile. 

..x..

_AN: Thank you for reading! I always found it interesting that the younger brothers knew each others name when they met at the river. Next chapter is probably what you are interested in reading...the part responsible for the [M] rating. _


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